Sonal Shah an Indian Extract has one dubious credential on her resume–her relationship with the Hindu extremist group, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). This militant group, as has been claimed, was held responsible for the genocidal pogroms against Muslims in the western Indian state of Gujarat in 2002 that killed 2,000 people and rendered 100,000 homeless. Ms. Shah was the “National Coordinator” for the VHP in North America . So the question is: why hasn’t the Obama team vetted enough on Ms. Sonal Shah’s Hindu extremist connections? Many believe VHP is the ruthless face of Apartheid in India. One can only warn Obama and says SHAME.

http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/19606

As for me, living in Germany and having no influence, but sympathy, I am waiting like many others for a sign of improving or only applying your Common Law.
Tips of the iceberg are for my friends and me the cases of Leonard Peltier, Mumia Abu Jamal and the “Cuban Five”. All of them are hold as hostages of racism and revenge against those daring to resist the arbitrariness commited by the elites of the United States of America.
Please, support those in your country fighting for the rehabilitation and release of them.

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori:
mors et fugacem persequitur virum
nec parcit inbellis iuventae
poplitibus timidove tergo.”

“How sweet and fitting it is to die for one’s country:
Death pursues the man who flees,
spares not the hamstrings or cowardly backs
Of battle-shy youths.”

‘These words were well known and often quoted by supporters of the war near its inception and, as such, were of particular importance to soldiers of the era.” (Wikipedia)

Have you ever read Wilfrid Owen’s poem of the same name? There is a link to it on this biographical page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_owen

There is this story going around that in WWI soldiers bogged down in trenches facing and firing at each other would on Xmas day come out and fraternize, Germans and Allies, for that day. I have often thought why these ‘misguided fools’ did not take the hint and just decide there and then and say to each other in an embrace:
BASTA NO MAS!!!
FUCK the KING, FUCK the EMPEROR,
FUCK the PRESIDENT, FUCK our ELITES…
NO MORE FIGHTING WARS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THESE PARASITES !!!
I’m absolutely sure the World would be in far, far better shape today.

All they have to do is demonstrate that they will no longer put up with elitism and inequality and the parasitic wealthy classes, that they want to create a better world, one where perpetual war doesn’t exist.

They need to demand that indoctrination be replaced by proper education which, for the first time, would allow people to think rationally, to evaluate, to question, to become aware of their own power to control their destinies.

It’s simple really!

http://www.dangerouscreation.com

“Obama will be held accountable if he, say, murders a group of school children live on the Oprah show. Other than that – he’s got a free pass…..”

But the “children” were seen throwing rocks at Obama and until their parents decide to stop teaching them hateful ideologies, these unfortunate instances will continue on the Oprah show. I reject the label of murderer and criminal…Obama had a right to defend himself

great article you’ve written, identifies what’s needed right out of the gates — pressure from the people. As you critically point out, this is no time for people to go silent, pressure must be applied and the precedent set for expectations. Pass the EFCA within 30 days and then keep his feet to the fire. The people have to assume the role of a Congress that has forgotten how to check and balance the action of the Chief. Pressure from below.

More holes than Swiss cheese, and nobody named Moses works for the president…good endorphin stuff.

As for union organizers, in the US they have it pretty good in comparison, they only get fired. While mainstream US is generally blind to the events in Colombia, as an expat who lives in Colombia, I can assure you that organizing labor unions is much more dangerous here where 450+ unionists have been assassinated since 2002 which is a higher rate than the rest of the world combined. In this direction, I am holding Obama to his words of wanting to see human rights issues confronted here before any free trade act is passed. Notice how McBush just shook his head during that part of the debate? Bush apparently has other tactics to get an unfair trade agreement moving with this nation of exploited humans and resources, but let’s hope the automobile industry strategy fails to materialize, and that Obama will even pull the outrageous and ineffective over-funding of Plan Colombia.

For more on Colombia’s conflict, please see the link on Ramsefall.

Thanks again for the speculations and imperative action come January.

Best to you.

I’m looking forward to hearing what Ford & Dixon suggests. Now that the election is over I hope that they can toned down their rhetoric of slamming the voters (especially African American voters) and offer some tactical solutions especially for the Left to attracted disillusioned African Americans away from the Democrats.

The time to make demands was a long time ago, and, indeed, Obama could have won by a larger margin if he was farther to the left, if he actually promised real solutions to climate change, to inequality, to the waste of war.

I doubt Obama would have “won” if he was “further to the Left”. If Obama was further to the Left the media would have branded him a “Black Militant”. In fact they did try that (the New Yorker Magazine cover) and even tried using the “socialist” label (which has a history of its own in the African American community)

We know that Obama is further to the right than Jesse Jackson was 20 years ago and Jackson lost the party nomination.

The only way a real left-wing candidate can “win” is through solidarity and coherence on the Left itself. That doesn’t exist at the moment and it will take some time to achieve.

Right now the Left’s primary electoral strategy is to convince people not to vote for the Democrats. Unfortunately, the Left is not prepared at this time to offer a viable alternative. To do so the Left needs to attract the most loyal voting bloc away from the Democrats — African Americans. The election of Obama slows that strategy down for now but when the euphoria of his election subsides and they become disillusioned by his fealty to Zionism, militarism and capitalism the question is will the Left be ready with a viable alternative.

You are right, it is the system which is “evil” and the people in power are there to meet the needs of the system.

If there is no understanding of that fundamental issue than we’re all just pounding sand.